NRCS-WA announces dates, locations of Local Working Group meetings

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Washington (NRCS-WA) has set the dates, times, and locations for all Local Working Group meetings occurring in 2025.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners help their land through completely voluntary, non-regulatory, incentive-and-science based programs.

Local Working Groups (LWG) are NRCS’s way of listening to people interested in agriculture and natural resources so they can best serve local communities across Washington. Local Working Groups are typically composed of agricultural producers, Tribes, owners/operators of nonindustrial private forest land, professionals representing agricultural and natural resource interests, and individuals representing a variety of disciplines in the soil, water, wetland, plant, forestry, and wildlife sciences who are interested in agricultural and natural resource issues in their communities. Local Working Group participation is also open to the public.

All are welcome and encouraged to attend their local working group meeting - listed below by area. Please note: LWGs are not required to designate a location until three weeks prior to their meeting. Please check this webpage for the latest information.

Big Bend Local Working Group
Date & Time: Feb. 26, 2025 at 1 p.m.
Location: Washington Cattlemen's Association | 1301 N Dolarway Rd, Ellensburg, WA 98926
Area: Grant and Kittitas counties (Columbia Basin and Kittitas Conservation Districts, respectively).
Chair: Mark Moore
District Conservationist: Holly Taylor 
Holly.taylor@usda.gov
(509) 925-8585 (ext. 115)

North Central Local Working Group
Date & Time: April 17, 2025, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Location: Chelan School District Office
309 E. Johnson Ave
Chelan, WA 98816
Area: Okanogan, Foster Creek, South Douglas, & Cascadia.
Chair: Carolyn Kelly
District Conservationist: Sarah Troutman
sarah.troutman@usda.gov
(509) 422-2750

Northeast Local Working Group
Date & Time: April 3, 2025, from 12:30 to 4 p.m.
Location: Stevens County Conservation District (Conference Room)
232 Williams Lake Road
Colville, WA 99114
Area: Stevens, Pend Oreille, & Ferry.
Chair: Andy Kroiss
District Conservationist: Derek Marin
derek.marin@usda.gov
(509) 775-3473 (Ext. 107)

Northwest Local Working Group
Date & Times:
March 3, 2025, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. (First Meeting)
April 7, 2025, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. (Second Meeting)
May 5, 2025, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. (Third Meeting)
Locations: TBD (Click here for the latest info.)
Area: Snohomish, Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan Islands, Whidbey Island, Clallam, & Jefferson.
Chair: Brandy Reed
District Conservationist: Sarah Tanuvasa
sarah.tanuvasa@usda.gov
(360) 488-4819

Palouse Local Working Group
Date & Time: March 14, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.
Location: NRCS Spokane Valley Service Center
8815 East Mission Ave., Suite B
Spokane Valley, WA, 99212
Area: Whitman, Pine Creek, Palouse, Spokane County, & Rock Lake.
Chair: Larry Cochran
District Conservationist: Rich Edlund
richard.edlund@usda.gov
(509) 381-6727

Puget Sound Working Group
Date & Time: March 4, 2025, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Location: Virtual (Click here for the latest info.)
Area: Thurston, Kitsap, Mason, Pierce, & King.
Chair: Sarah Moorehead
District Conservationist: Lynn Khuat
lynn.khuat@usda.gov
(253) 256-6741

Snake River Local Working Group
Date & Time: Feb. 13, 2025, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Location: Dayton Best Western Hotel
507 E Main St,
Dayton, WA 99328
Area: Asotin County, Columbia, Franklin, Pomeroy, & Walla Walla.
Chair: Lance Frederick
District Conservationist: Tracy Hanger
tracy.hanger@usda.gov
(509) 956-3752

South Central Local Working Group
Date & Time: Feb. 26, 2025, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Location: Klickitat County Administrative Services Building
Mt. Adams Conference Room
115 West Court St.
Goldendale, WA, 98620
Area: Central and Eastern Klickitat, Benton, North & South Yakima Conservation Districts, & Underwood.
Chair: Michael Crowder
District Conservationist: Chris Wright
christopherl.wright@usda.gov
(509) 367-8553

Southwest Local Working Group
Date & Time: April 17, 2025, from 10 a.m. to noon.
Location: Cowlitz Historical Museum
405 Allen St.
Kelso, Wash. 98626
Area: Clark, Underwood (Skamania), Lewis County, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Grays Harbor, & Pacific County.
Chair: Joe Shulke
District Conservationist: Bobette Parsons
bobette.parsons@usda.gov
(360) 557-2089

West Palouse Working Group
Date & Time: Feb. 25, 2025, from 10 a.m. to noon.
Location: Lincoln County Public Works
27234 WA-25
Davenport, WA, 99122
Area: Lincoln & Adams.
Chair: Jeff Schibel
District Conservationist: Carolyn Edenbo
carolyn.edenbo@usda.gov
(509) 659-1761